Choosing a network location

The first time that you connect to a network, you must choose a network location. This automatically sets the appropriate firewall and security settings for the type of network that you connect to. If you connect to networks in different locations (for example, a network at your home, at a local coffee shop, or at work), choosing a network location can help ensure that your computer is always set to an appropriate security level.

There are four network locations:

Choose Home network for home networks or when you know and trust the people and devices on the network. Computers on a home network can belong to a homegroup. Network discovery is turned on for home networks, which allows you to see other computers and devices on the network and allows other network users to see your computer. For more information, see What is network discovery?

Choose Work network for small office or other workplace networks. Network discovery, which allows you to see other computers and devices on a network and allows other network users to see your computer, is on by default, but you can't create or join a homegroup. For more information, see What is network discovery?

Choose Public network for networks in public places (such as coffee shops or airports). This location is designed to keep your computer from being visible to other computers around you and to help protect your computer from any malicious software from the Internet. HomeGroup is not available on public networks, and network discovery is turned off. You should also choose this option if you're connected directly to the Internet without using a router, or if you have a mobile broadband connection.

The Domain network location is used for domain networks such as those at enterprise workplaces. This type of network location is controlled by your network administrator and can't be selected or changed.

Note

If you know you won’t need to share files or printers, the safest choice is public network.

Watch this video to learn how to choose a network location (0.48)

To choose a network location

Open Network and Sharing Center by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type network, and then click Network and Sharing Center.

Click Work network, Home network, or Public network, and then click the network location you want.

How Windows Firewall affects network locations

The Public network location blocks certain programs and services from running to help protect your computer from unauthorized access while you're connected to a network in a public place. If you're connected to a public network and Windows Firewall is turned on, some programs or services might ask you to allow them to communicate through the firewall so that they work properly.

When you allow a program to communicate through the firewall, it's allowed for every network with the same location as the network you're currently connected to. For example, if you connect to a network in a coffee shop and choose Public network as the location, and you then unblock an instant message program, that program will be unblocked for all public networks that you connect to.

If you plan to unblock multiple programs while you're connected to a public network, consider changing the network location to Home network or Work network. It might be safer to change this one network than affect every public network you connect to from that point on. But remember that if you make that change, your computer will be visible to others on the network, and this is a security risk.

The first time that you connect to a network, you must choose a network location. This automatically sets the appropriate firewall settings for the type of network that you connect to. If you connect to networks in different locations (for example, a network at your home, at a local coffee shop, or at work), choosing a network location can help ensure that your computer is always set to an appropriate security level.

There are three network locations: Home, Work, and Public place.

Home or Work

Choose one of these locations for home or small office networks when you know and trust the people and devices on the network. Network discovery, which allows you to see other computers and devices on a network and allows other network users to see your computer, is on by default. For more information, see What is network discovery?

Public place

Choose this location for networks in public places (such as coffee shops or airports). This location is designed to keep your computer from being visible to other computers around you and to help protect your computer from any malicious software from the Internet. Network discovery is turned off for this location.

Note

If there’s only one computer on your network and you know you won’t need to share files or printers, the safest choice is “Public place.”

To change a network location type

If your computer is part of a domain, you won't be able to change the network location type because it is controlled by your network administrator.

Log on to the network.

Open Network and Sharing Center by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Network and Internet, and then clicking Network and Sharing Center.

Click Customize, and then click either Public (for "Public place" networks) or Private (for "Home" or "Work" networks). If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

How Windows Firewall affects network locations

The “Public place” location blocks certain programs and services from running, to help protect your computer from unauthorized access while you are connected to a network in a public place. If you are connected to a "Public place" network and Windows Firewall is turned on, some programs or services might ask you to unblock them (allow them to communicate through the firewall) so that they work properly.

When you unblock a program, Windows Firewall unblocks it for every network with the same location type as the network you are currently connected to. For example, if you connect to a network in a coffee shop and choose "Public place" as the location type and then you unblock an instant messaging program, that program will be unblocked for all networks in the "Public place" location.

If you unblock multiple programs while you're connected to a public network, consider changing the network location to "Home" or "Work." It might be safer to change this one network than affect every public network you connect to. But remember that if you make that change, your computer will be visible to others on the network.